Composite cross-tie for railways.



COMPOSITE OSS TIE` FOR BILWAYS.

APIfLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1908.

OSCAR GEBLACH, 0F IOLA, 'KANSAS.

COMPOSITE CROSS-TIE FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

`Application led November 23, 190B. Serial No. 463,957.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR GERLACH, -a citizen of the German Empire, and ay resident of Iola, in the county of Allen and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Composite Cross-Ties for Railways, of which the following'is a specification.

My inventlon relates to improvementsv in composite cross-ties for railways, and my principal object is to provide a more durable and inexpensive tie of this character than has heretofore been produced.

With the above object 1n view I provide a metallic beam for sustaining practically the entire loadto which the tie is subjected, and surround all but the base of said beam with concrete for preservingthe same and providing the tie with a body having a base of sufficient area to prevent it from sinking too deeply into the road-bed. I also relieve the concrete-body of undue vibration by interposing wooden blocksbetween the rails and the metallic beam, and securing the same together by anchoring means which are almost entirely free from the concrete, so that the latter will not be impaired by the vibration of said means. I also guard against the accumulation of water around the blocks by providing drain-pipes which conduct the water to the bottom of the tie. This prevents the blocks from rotting and also prevents the ends of the ties from becomin cracked by water freezing between said b ocks and the surrounding concrete.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention: Figure 1 represents a plan view of my im roved tie. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of) the same on line II-II of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are cross sections on lines III,'IV, and V, respectively, of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a metallic beam 1, which is placed at the bottom of the tie, for sustaining, practically, the entire load to which the tie is subjected.

2 designates a pair of blocks `which are interposed between the beam 1 and rails 3, so that nearly all the weight of passing trains will betransmitted to the beam` instead of the concrete body 4, in which said beam is embedded. Blocks 2 have tapering sides 5, so that their lower ends will be substantially the same width as the top of beam l, and hence transmit any vibration to which they may be subjected to said beam instead are of suflicient size to receive the customary spikes 6, so that special means need not be 1 employed forfastening the rails 3 thereto. The blocks are held in position upon beam 1 by the surrounding concrete and anchoring means, which latter consists of U-bolts 7, the lower portions of which extend through beam 1, while their upper ends project above the tops of the blocks' to receive retainingnuts 8 and plates 9, which latter are interposed between the former and the blocks toprevent the retaining-nuts from sinking into and im airing said blocks. Bolts 7 extend throug the blocks and are almost free from the concrete, as shown in Fig. 3,so that they will not impair the same when vibrated by passing trains.

10 designates a plurality of drain-pipes leading from the bottomsof the blocks to the bottom of the tie for carrying olf any water which might soak'down between the blocks and the surrounding concrete. This arrangement prevents the ends of the concr\.'e body 4 from becoming cracked in cold weather by water freezing between the blocks and the concreteLit also prevents rotting of the blocks, which, however, are coated with tar, pitch, or creosote to render them impervious to water.

The concrete body 4 has large rectan lar ends 1l surrounding the blocks to rellably resist any strains to which-said ends may be subjected, and the intermediate portion of the body, which is subjected to but little strain, has upwardly tapering sides 12 to lighten the tie and cheapen the construction thereof.

-13 designates a plurality of rods extending transversely through beam 1 to reinforce the concrete body 4, which is further reinforced adjacent to blocks 2 by a plurality of V-shaped rods 14, the sides of which extend upwardly near the sides of the blocks as shown in Fig. 3.

15 l5 designate small quantities of sand, interposed between the blocks and beam 1,to form cushioning means for the protection of the blocks when trains are passing over the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a cross-tie for railways, a-composition body, a vmetallic beam embedded in the lower portion of said body and having its lower surface flush with the lewe!` surface through the blocks to be almost free of the composition body, and Vfshaped renforcin rods adjacent to thesides of the blocks an extending through the beam.

3. In a cross-tie for railways, a composition' body, a metallie'beam embedded in the lower portion of seid body, blocks restin upon saidbeamfand extendin upward through the body, said blocks aving tapered sides so `that theirI bottom portions will be the same width asthe top of the beam, bolts forsecuring said blocksupon the beam, retaining-nuts for en aging the upper ends of said bolts, and p ates mterposed between lsaid nuts and the upper'surface of theblocks.. 4. In a.v cross-tie or'railways, a eoniposiv tion body, a metallic beam embedded in the lower portion of said body, blooks'arranged I above said beam and (projecting above the upper-surface of the bo y, eushionin means` interposed between the beam and sai blocks,

and draining means leading from the undersides ofthe blocks t0 the exterior of the com. position body, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof., I atlixmy'. signature 3 5 in the presence of two witnesses. i

OSCAR GERLACH. Witnesses;

JAMES A. WHEELER, Y

BEss L. HYDE, 

